Pheasant Perk

Last year Greg and I were walking past the executive offices on our way back to our office when we found ourselves striding alongside our CFO. In the course of every day chitchat, he mentioned that he had been pheasant hunting that previous weekend.

I reflexively went, "Mmmmmmm."

He asked if I liked pheasant. I had never eaten pheasant; but that didn't stop my hyperactive food brain from putting ingredients together. And I certainly wasn't going to explain to a senior executive that my instinctive reaction was based on nil. So I nodded.

One of the nice perks of working for this southern company (other than fresh game) is the exquisite thoughtfulness to which you are exposed. The next day, I got a call from him: "Cathy, there's a pheasant for you in the freezer in our breakroom. Just come by and get it whenever you want."

I walked over to Greg and said, "There's a pheasant in the freezer for me."

Greg: "Is it a whole one?"

I had a sudden vision of a dead bird, completely intact with plumage, wings, beak and other body parts. "Oh God. You don't think there's a frozen taxidermy specimen in there, do you?" I gasped.

"One way to find out."

We padded on over to the executive breakroom and to my relief, found that the bird had been plucked and prepped. No wild plumage. Having never cooked pheasant before, I consulted several game cookbooks and various sites. None proved particularly useful so in the end, I cooked on pure guessing; I grilled the pheasant breasts simply, made a blueberry-cassis reduction sauce and served it on a bed of Boursin-laden polenta. Delicious.

Remember that thoughtfulness I mentioned earlier? Today one of our CFO's shooting companions dropped by my desk with a heavy nylon bag. "[Our CFO] asked me to drop this off for you."

Another pheasant, prepped and ready to go. The bird is cooling in the freezer right now, waiting for Hubby's return next week. I am thinking of making the same meal.

It'll be perfect for the fall; and a good precursor to our Vermont trip.

Comments

[Kelly Hong]

Ki,

I have eaten pheasant. Several times. The first time it was made for me by my friend Geoffrey, Professor of History at University of Essex in Colchester. It smelled delicious -- I was about to dig in, when Geoffrey mumbled: "Mind the buckshot."

It was really good anyway.

[Cath]

Kel, will Geoffrey share his recipes? I'd like to try something different, as I, too, must mind the buckshot. Hani nearly cracked her tooth on buckshot last year eating my duck ragu risotto...